Fence-post.



C. C. S. EPHRAIIVI.

FENCE POST.

APPLICATION FILED 0296,1916.

Patented. Apr. 30, 1918.

UNHlE D ame rarer orrinn crmnrns c. s. rI-IRAIM, 01: NEWCASTLE, NATAL, sonrn AFRICA.

FEncn-ros'r.

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Specification of Letters'Pate nt, PatgntedApr, 3Q

Appli i fi d cembe 6, 1916. Serial no. new.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, {CHARLES C. S. Emma-1M, .a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Newcastle, in the Province of Natal, South Africa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fence-Posts; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has for its object to provide an im-provedgmetallic fence; post and locking plate associated therewith to fasten the fence wires in position without the useof staples or similar fastening devices.

Another object is the provision of an improved fence post including a body member and head formed integral therewith and projecting laterally of one longitudinal edge thereof and constituting a reinforcing element, and also designed to assist in rigidly supporting or anchoring the post in position in the ground.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter specifically described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which;

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the improved fence post, partly broken away,

Fig. 2 represents a fragmentary side elevation of the post, looking toward the side opposite that shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 represents a fragmentary side elevation of the improved fence post, illustrating the locking plate in elevated position,

Fig. 4 represents a transverse sectional view through the fence post,

Fig. 5 represents a fragmentary side elevation of a modified type of fence post, the locking plate being removed and Fig. 6 represents a perspective view of the cap plate for the fence post removed.

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 5 indicates the body of the post, which is formed at one longitudinal edge with a head 6, projecting laterally of the opposite sides of the body 5 and forming a reinforcing element therefor. The opposite longitudinal edges of the head 6 at the lower end of the latter are beveled,

as indicated at 7, and the body 5 is also beveled at 8 to present an edge .9. to facilitate insertion of the post in the ground.

The body 5 is formed with a vertical groove 10 communicating with a groove 11 formed in the head 6 and terminating adjacent the lower end ofthe body in a stop shoulder 12. j The a body 1 .5 is formed at spaced points with substantially S-shaped a 120i. such idth a t re ive fenc wires. The outer ,ends ior throats of the slots 12 are inclined upwardly and out wardly toward the. free longitudinal edge .of the body 5, and the inner terminals thereof are enlarged, as indicated at 13.

a locking plate 14 is slidable vertically in the grooves 10 and 11, and is securely held against displacement by the walls of the groove 11 in the head 7 The locking plate 14 is formed with a plurality of vertically elongated slots 15, which are arranged in line with the enlarged inner terminals of they are movable, so that when the throats l6-of the slots 15 are moved into registration with the underlying portions of the slots 12 the fence wires may be inserted in the slots in the locking plate and fence post. After the fence wires have been moved into the extreme inner terminals of the slots 12 and the slots 15, the locking plate 14 is moved downwardly and the wire is held in the enlarged inner terminals 13 of the slots 12 and is firmly gripped or wedged between the inclined side walls of the tapered slots 15. The locking plate is locked in adjusted position with relation to the post body 5 by a bolt 17 positioned through apertures 18 in the locking plate and body 5 and secured in position by a nut 19 threaded thereon. A cap plate 20 hav ing a T-shaped recess 21 in one face thereof is adapted to be slipped over the upper end of the post body 5 and head 6 during driving of the post, so that the blows delivered upon the cap plate by the tool used in setting the post will not injure the upper edges of the head and body.

In the modification of the invention illus- ,trated in Fig. 5, the body 5' of the fence post is formed with the integral head 6 and locking plate-receiving groove 10. The outer terminal of each fence wire-receiving slot 12 therein is disposed horizontally.

and extends inwardly and downwardly toward {the longitudinal axis of the groove 10, terminating in an enlarged inner terminal 13f.

[What I claim isi I: A fence post including a body, a head formed integral with one longitudinal edge thereof, thehead and body being substantially T-shaped in cross section, said body and, head having grooves therein and the body having fence Wire-receiving slots, and a slotted locking plate slidable longitudi- I 5 nally inthe-grooves in the body and head and'held *ag'ain'st" lateral movement by the walls ofthe grooves in the post.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for 2. A fence post including a body, a head formed integral with one longitudinal edge thereof, the head and body being substantially T-shaped in cross section, said head and body having longitudinal grooves therein, and the body having fence wirereceiving slots, a transversely extendin stop shoulder at the lower terminal of the groove in the body, and a slotted locking plate slidable in the grooves in the body and head, movable againstthe shoulder and held against lateral displacement by the walls of the grooves in the post.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES C. S. EPHRAIM.

v Witnesses:

- G. K. INGRAM.

J. SITINJA.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

